Google’s $15 Billion Data Center Project in India Addresses Issues with Wildlife and Water

A hillside above the site has been stripped to red earth and terraced into steps as part of Google’s planned Indian data center hub. However, the U.S. tech giant’s $15 billion project is facing obstacles due to growing opposition from environmentalists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ally in charge of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, which has praised the project as historic and transformative, has refuted claims that the project was expedited without considering the hazards to wildlife and water resources.

However, the mounting opposition may serve as an early test for Google’s (GOOGL.O) largest-ever investment in India, which is facing multiple legal challenges due to its impact on water supplies and close to a wildlife sanctuary that is home to pangolins and leopards.

According to social media posts, activists and kids have been marching around Visakhapatnam city in recent weeks, carrying banners that read “We cannot drink DATA” and painting handcuffs on the Google logo.

Reuters was present at a public meeting on Sunday when campaigners planned beach protests and door-to-door awareness campaigns in the days ahead.

The founder of the non-profit Green Visakha, Raja Rama Mohan Roy, stated, “Development should not be at the cost of livelihood of the people,” while presenting data on the strained water supply and demand in Visakhapatnam.

According to the administration, the city needs 480 million liters of water each day, but only receives 410 million from its rivers and reservoirs. Water resources are frequently rationed in the 2.5 million-person city.

Globally, there is opposition to the rapid expansion of data centers due to the massive amounts of water and electricity required to cool servers. In a developing country like India, the potential impact is even more noticeable. In July, opponents in the United States staged 142 demonstrations in 42 states, voicing similar concerns.